The Rescuer (38 page)

"Don't look so flustered; I sketched it in the first days I came back. I just wanted it for a night we had something to celebrate. I wish Neil had done more of this kind of creating pieces than getting involved in what he did. He had a lot of talent." He half turned.

"Slip your hand into my left jacket pocket."

She retrieved the tissue-paper-wrapped gift.

"I asked Neil to do it in silver."

"Oh, Stephen." The heart pendant was swirled in silver, with a script M inside.

He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I would have added an S if it wouldn't have seemed too forward at the time." Stephen nudged her arm. "Hey, I've got my hands ful . You can't cry on me."

She blinked back the tears even as she laughed. "I'm thinking I'l add it as a superman S, right behind my heart."

"Real y?"

She slid her hand around his arm. "Did I just fluster you?"

"A bit." It was hard to think coherently when she was invading his space. "You rescued me, Meg, by leading me to the ultimate Rescuer. I thought we'd celebrate that tonight. I wish I'd figured out you were what I was searching for years ago." He bent to tenderly kiss her.

"I wasted so much time."

344

"I love you, Stephen."

He smiled and wiped one of her tears, then shifted Hol y so he could hug Meghan. He was tired of waiting when he final y found what he wanted. "When we get home, what do you say you come walk through the farmhouse and decide on a place for a new piano?

What would you say about marrying me someday, Meghan?"

She about hugged the breath out of him. "I'd say yes."

He laughed and caught her close. The night was complete, and nearly perfect. "I wish Jennifer were here so I could tel her first."

"She knows," Meghan whispered against his shirt, then leaned back. "What do you say we wake up Kate to tel her next? Then cal my parents."

Stephen looked over at his sister and smiled. "Yes, let's do that. This should be an O'Mal ey family celebration."

The publisher and author would love to hear your comments about this book. Please contact us at www.muknomah.net/deehenderson

345 Dear Reader,

Thank you for reading this story. Stephen opened the O'Mal ey series with Kate in The Negotiator, and now in The Rescuer brings this set of books to a close.

He's the last O'Mal ey to settle down, and his loneliness after the death of Jennifer is intense. His friendship with Meghan was the thing he turned to, and as I got to know Meghan, I understood why Stephen chose her.

She's been through hard times and found the peace he seeks. Stephen is the last O'Mal ey to believe. He knows who God is, knows what religion asks of a man, and his struggle is a matter of wil . What Stephen needs most to hear is that Jesus wants to be his friend.

He has to see the truth become personal: That Jesus wants to rescue him because God wants more than a servant; He wants a friendship. Is God trustworthy to be our deepest, closest Friend? Exploring that question with Stephen made this one of the richest O'Mal ey books to write.

Thank you for reading the O'Mal ey series and getting to know this special family.

As always, I love to hear from my readers. Feel free to write me at:

Dee Henderson c/o Multnomah Fiction

EO. Box 1720 Sisters, Oregon 97759 E-mail: [email protected] or on-line:

http://www.deehenderson.com First chapters of al my books are on-line. I invite you to stop by and check them out.

God bless,

fi

346 THE O'MALLEY SERIES

Danger in the Shadows-Prequel

Sara's terrified. She's fal ing in love with a famous man. In the witness protection program, her safety depends on staying invisible-and loving Adam could get her kil ed.

*»

ISBN 1-57673-927-9

The Negotiator-Book One

feilNft-f 13 f ft-f FBI agent Dave Richman from Danger SEIB^IP V I ** V »#> flOO

*^in the Shadows is back. He's about to meet Kate O'Mal ey, and his life wil never be the same.

She's a hostage negotiator. He protects people.

Dave's about to find out that fal ing in love with a hostage negotiator is one thing, but keeping her safe is another!

ISBN 1-57673-819-1

d a'^9e Giiardian-Book Two

U A K L> 1 A N A federal judge has been murdered< There is only one witness. And an assassin wants her dead. U.S. Marshal Marcus O'Mal ey thought he knew the risks of the assignment... He was wrong.

347 \ ?>*

THE O'MALLEY SERIES

The Truth Seeker-Book Three

Women are turning up dead. Lisa O'Mal ey is a forensic pathologist and mysteries are her domain.

When she's investigating a crime it means trouble is soon to fol ow. U.S. Marshal Quinn Diamond has found loving her is easier than keeping her out of danger.

Lisa's found the kil er, and now she's missing too...

DEE HEN1

ISBN 1-57673-753-5

The Protector-Book Four

Jack O'Mal ey is a fireman. He's fearless when it comes to facing an inferno. But when an arsonist begins targeting his district, his shift, his friends, Jack faces the ultimate chal enge: protecting the lady who saw the arsonist before she pays an even higher price...

ISBN 1-57673-846-9

The Healer-Book Five

Rachel O'Mal ey makes her living as a trauma psychologist, working disaster relief for the Red Cross.

Her specialty is helping children. When a school shooting rips through her community, she finds herself dealing with more than just grief among the children she's trying to help. There's a secret. One of them witnessed the shooting. And the murder weapon is stil missing...

t « r l«w .rffirtf* f »

i«r* , * ^t,ISBN 1-57673-925-2

348

True Devotion-Book One

Kel y Jacobs has already paid the ultimate price of loving a warrior She has the folded flag and the grateful thanks of a (fetion to prove it Navy SEAL Joe "Bear"

Baker can't ask her to accept that risk again-even though he loves her But the man responsible for her husband's death is back, closer than either of them realize Kel y's in danger, and Joe may not get there in time

ISBN 1-57673-886-8

True Valor-Book Two

Air Force Pararescueman Bruce "Striker" Stanton spends his life rescuing pilots downed behind enemy lines Grace "Gracie" Yates spends hers flying an F/A-18 Hornet for the Navy With dangerous jobs, often away from home, they exchanged love letters Now a fight between Turkey and its neighbors is spiraling into a confrontation For the military deployed in the region, it's not just the occasional news headline-it's their daily problem When Grace is shot down behind enemy lines, Bruce has got one mission get Gracie out alive 349

True Honor-Book Three

For CIA officer Darcy St James, the terrorist attack on America is personal friends died at the Pentagon She's after a man who knew September 11 would happen and who chose to profit from the knowledge Navy SEAL Sam "Cougar' Houston is busy The intel igence Darcy is generating has his team deploying around the world Under the pressure of war, they discover the sweetness of love, and their romance flourishes But it may be a short relationship-for the terrorists have chosen their next targets, and Darcy's name is high on the list

350 www.letstalkfiction.com

Let's Talk Fiction is a free, four-color mini-magazine created to give readers a "behind the scenes" look at Multnomah Publishers' favorite fiction authors. Let's Talk Fiction al ows our authors to share a bit about themselves, giving readers an inside peek into their latest releases. Published in the fal , spring, and summer seasons, Let's Talk Fiction is fil ed with interactive contests, author contact information, and fun! To receive your free copy of Let's Talk Fiction get on-line at www.letstalkfiction.com. We'd love to hear from you!

351 Stephen O'Mal ey is a paramedic who has been rescuing people al his life. But he's running now--from the burden of his profession, from the

grief of losing his sister, and from a God he doesn't want to trust. He's run into a mystery. Stolen jewels are turning up in unexpected places, and his friend Meghan is caught in the middle of the trouble.

Stephen's about to run into a night he wil never forget: a kidnapping, a tornado, and a race to

rescue the woman he loves. Don't miss this last book in the exciting O'Mal ey series.